Who’s leading the 2014 box office race so far?

Who’s leading the 2014 box office race so far?

With half of the year almost gone, that means most of our viewing pleasure at the theater has been released. Out of these films, though, which is the leading grossing film?

That’s what we’re going to take a look at this week with the current top five grossing films for 2014. Some of these films are still in theaters, meaning their positions can still change, but these are the most recent leaders.

5. Godzilla

Released 05/16/14

Total Domestic Gross: $191.3m

The monster lizard’s return to the big screen has been a smashing success. Sitting at No. 5, “Godzilla” proved that people still enjoy this franchise and that a market for more monster films is ripe for the picking. This film has quickly become one of the top best films in the series. It has an engaging human story with all of the action you would want from a Godzilla film. I can’t wait for the next installment.

4. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Released 05/02/14

Total Domestic Gross: $198.4m

Web-slinging into 4th place is our friendly box office loving Amazing Spider-Man. The follow-up to the 2012 hit has performed well, even though audiences are not as pleased with the second film. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” has a lot of what you want from this series, but the story is weak in some areas and feels too much like a bridge for other films instead of being its own movie.

3. X-Men: Days of Future Past

Released 05/23/14

Total Domestic Gross: $206.3m

Performing better than the rest of the series, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” puts Wolverine and the gang into third place with the possibility of moving up the ladder. This film has taken the franchise to a higher level, giving a solid mix of story and exciting action and leaving audiences wanting more. Fox plans to do just that with another X-Men movie planned for May 2016 and a spin-off film called X-Force.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Released 04/04/14

Total Domestic Gross: $256.3m

Almost tying for 1st place brought his patriotic flare to the box office with tremendous results. Outshining the first film as well as probably the rest of the Marvel/Disney films, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” elevated the cinematic universe of these characters to a bolder level and gave fans the Captain America film they have been wanting. Its performance has shown that this character has more clout at the box office, which the third installment will need when taking on the Batman/Superman movie in 2016.

1. The Lego Movie

Released 02/07/14

Total Domestic Gross: $256.4m

Barely beating out Captain America, this little kids’ film took the box office by surprise. Children and adults alike have fallen in love with these plastic characters. At first look, the film would seem to be just another cheesy animated film. But taking a closer look, it’s easy to see that this movie is full of imagination, creativity and a lot of heart. The ending is touching, giving substance to a film many would just toss to the side. Being “The Lego Movie” has proven to be force at the box office, there will more than likely be a sequel on the way.